Welcome to Paradise-A Selection SYOC
by Kyramellark7
Summary: Several generations after Maxon and America, there is a new royal family on the throne. The Huntingtons are in power, and the newest heir, Nicholas, has come of age. With his Selection approaching, will it be just like the others that history has seen come and go? Or will this one prove to be new-a new brand of Selections? SYOC Open
1. Chapter 1

Welcome To Paradise-A Selection SYOC

Hello! After much thought (a whole day's worth,) I've decided to start up one of these SYOC's on my own! I've always loves writing, and love this series so much. I can't always promise quick updates (they will probably be about every week, maybe slightly sooner,) but I can promise you quality. I pride myself in my work, and I also will be happy to welcome your suggestions, constructive criticism, and theories!

Rules about the form:

1) Please, no Mary-Sue characters. It's okay if they're a genuinely nice girl, but make them have some depth.

2) For personality, don't just list a ton of traits. I love seeing full sentences, and it's so nice when people put thought into their character. The more you tell me, the more I have to go on.

3) For the lowest castes (5,6,7) I will probably only be accepting a few from each, likely three, to make it realistic. Keeping with that realism, I will not be accepting Eights UNLESS they have a fantastic form. So, it is alright to submit one, but be prepared to change the caste.

4) You can submit by review or PM. I prefer PM but if you can't do that, review is okay.

5) Three submissions are allowed per user.

6) Diversity is great! Diverse cultures, appearances, histories, backgrounds, personalities, everything!

7) Unless I get the spots filled before, the deadline is February 13.

8) If needed, you're welcome to PM in more than one message. The quality of the submission is more important then your ability to make it fit in one message.

Chapter 1

Prince Nicholas's POV

I knew what my duty was. I was the prince, I mean. From birth, for all of the heirs from hundreds of years ago to today, this is how it had worked. They each had to have their own Selection. My father, King Peter, had found my mother, Queen Victoria, this way. The same with my grandparents, and my great-grandparents, the famed Maxon and America. But just because tradition dictated it didn't mean that I had to be in favor of it. Now, it wasn't that I hated the Selection itself. I thought it was a reasonable idea, and it seemed to produce good couples-good rulers. But I didn't see why I needed it. I wanted to fall in love in my own time, on my own terms.

But I went along with the plan. I laid in my bed, staring at the ceiling, praying to God that I could somehow emerge from all of this with a wife. Not only a wife, but someone who would be the next Queen, my lifelong companion, and my confidante.

I heard a knock on my door "Your Highness? Your father sent me to see how you were coming along on the budget reports." That would be Norelle, the lead palace maid. Bolting upright, I hit my head on the corner of my four story bed. That was going to leave a mark. I heard a slight giggle from the other side of the wall. "Shall I tell him you're working on it in your study?"

Clearing my throat, I responded in a decidedly unprincely manner. "Uh. yeah. I mean, yes, Norelle. Please do."

I could almost see her curtsy from where I sat on the edge of my mattress "Of course, Prince Nicholas. He also wanted me to inform you that you will he going over the details of your Selection over dinner tonight." With that, she was gone.

Rubbing my forehead and trying to alleviate some of the pain that was already beginning to surface, I half-dragged myself over to the room where I was meant to be working. Since I was good with numbers, my father decided that it had been a good idea to begin assigning me the annual budget report. "Son, you need to get in the habit of these things. When you're king, it will be all up to you," he had said.

As I sat down, resigning myself to several hours of crunching numbers and balancing the budget, I noticed an all-important folder sticking our from under the military expense report. 'His Royal Highness Prince Nicholas Andrew Huntington,' it read. Out of curiosity, I pulled it out. I wish I hadn't.

Form

Name: (First, middle(s), last)

Birthday:

Province:

Caste:

Profession:

Appearance:

What changed after the makeover:

Celebrity look alike: (optional)

Family/Friends:

Personality:

History:

Style of dress:

Romantic history: (Having one will not mean she is necessarily out of the running, it's mainly for reference)

Why they are there: Money, family, honor, prince, crown, or other. Elaborate, 2-3 sentences is fine.

How they treat the other Selected:

How they treat the Prince:

Maids: (names, brief information appearances and personalities)

How they treat the maids:

Languages: (it's fine if it's two or three besides English, but please don't make them speak like six additional)

Religion, if applicable: (Totally fine if they do not have one, if they do, who does it impact their life, dress, personality, again, for reference)

Anything else you would like me to know:


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It's not that it was anything bad. Wait, I retract that statement. It was, in a way. It was the schedule for the Selection. Dates, times, a timeline…..Everything was already planned out. Almost everything. Eligible women still had a while to turn in their applications, but the initial turnouts had already forecasted record numbers of applicants.

Whiling the time away by attempting to make sense of the numbers in front of me, an hour had suddenly passed without me really accomplishing much of anything. Right on time, Norelle knocked on my door. "Your Highness? It's time for dinner."

Walking towards the door, I stopped quickly at the mirror. Running my hands quickly through my hair, I straightened my tie. Then, I practically ran out the door, taking the familiar path to the family dining hall. Left, right, another right, straight, and the second door on my left. I slowed my pace before I walked in, not wanting to get reprimanded by my mother yet another time for what she called "behavior that is not becoming for someone of your stature."

I took my place at the left of my father, King Zachariah. My mother, Queen Estelle, was on his other side. My younger sister Veronica was to my right, and my younger brother Anthony was seated on my mother's side. The waiters brought out the spread for the night, which consisted of a delectable array of pastas and salads, with my favorite baklava as dessert. After dinner, I followed my father and mother into my father's study, where they sat me at the desk.

"Have you thought over the Selection any more, Nick?" My mother asked me.

"Yes," I responded. I had thought a lot about it. I was given several options, all with the intention of making the process of the Selection as painless and convenient as possible for me.

"I think I want to do the regular version. With the usual thirty-five girls and on the timeline that I feel is right. I don't want to be in a rush to choose my wife. That's not a decision I should be making lightly."

My father clapped me on the shoulder. "Will do, son." They had already made plans for the Selection to run traditionally, so I knew my consent to that way must have been a massive burden off of their shoulders.

Okay, guys! I'm sorry about the wait and short chapter, but I need more characters, I only have four so far! The form and available provinces are on my profile, and I need to stress that **I want detailed forms. **I've been getting some pretty bare-bones ones that haven't always followed all of the rules and I've taken them because I need the characters, but I really do want more than a list of personality traits or two sentences for history, Thanks!

miss maxerica-I'm sorry, but the point of an SYOC is for other people to submit characters. Not only is it easier on the writer, but it also gives readers a chance to be more invested in the story. So, I won't make up a character for you. You are, however, still welcome to submit one by PM or review


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hana Astley

I sat, perched on the side of my chair, elbows on my desk as I tried to think of that _one word, _the one that would pull the rest of my story together. As soon as I thought of one, I wrote it down, then scratched it out seconds later when I realized that it didn't flow well, or didn't look good on the paper, or was just missing the _it _factor that so many of my English tutors had always talked about.

Seemingly hidden by the stacks and stacks of failed manuscripts and prep books for my nursing degree was the application for the Selection. My parents had nearly thrown the letter into my hands from the moment we received in in the mail, though I knew they were only doing what they thought was best for me. After hesitating for a minute, I started filling it out. Hana Astley, Three, Calgary. Occupation: Nursing student. Languages: English, French, German, and Italian. And so I went, filling out section after section until none remained.

For caste, I hesitated for a minute. See, I had been born a Four. However, my family was wealthy enough to be able to buy ourselves up. I had always been grateful for the change, though it also brought with it some falls of its own. On one hand, we had more opportunities than ever before. I was able to pursue my hobby of writing without it being thrown away and considered a "frivolous pursuit." I was able to also go after a nursing degree, something I had wanted to do since childhood.

On the other hand, it invoked some rather…distasteful responses from some of our neighbors. We had been called "sellouts," when they didn't understand that my parents had basically done this for me. They wanted me, as their only child, to have a better life. However, this did also mean that they were perfectionists. I knew that they only wanted to help me reach my potential, but it sometimes put needless stress and expectations on my shoulders.

I sighed, rolling over and picking up my phone to call Gareth, my best friend. We had known each other since we were three, and so many of my best memories so far have been spent with him. He picked up immediately, as I knew he would. "Hana? What's wrong?"

I giggled. "Why is it that whenever I call you, you assume something is wrong?"

I could hear his laugh from my end of the phone. "Because that's usually the case, knowing you as well as I do."

"Well," I glanced over at my application, "I guess it depends on your definition of wrong. I mean, I don't think it's wrong. But maybe you do. I-"

He cut me off. "Hana, you're rambling again. Tell me what it is, you know you can trust me with anything."

"I entered the Selection."

"Oh."

"Is that all?" I asked.

"Well, if you think that that's what's right for you, I trust your judgment. I just don't want you to do something you'll regret and end up getting your heart broken. You're my best friend."

My heart swelled. "I know. Listen," I said, hearing my mother call me for dinner, "I've got to call you back. But thanks for the advice. It really means a lot," I responded.

"Anytime, Hana."

I hung up the phone and went down the stairs to the dining room, where my parents were waiting for me. "I filled out the form for the Selection," I answered. My mother gave a triumphant smile. "But," I added, before she had a chance to speak, "I did this because I wanted to. Not for you, not for Dad, even though I know you wanted me to. I did it for me."

"Whatever the reason, we only want what's best for you," my father added.

I nodded. "I know."

**Three weeks later**

We waited with baited breath. By 'we,' I mean my parents, Gareth, and I. Gareth, my mother, and I were on the couch, and my father was on another chair. "Good evening, Illea!" Sean Alden, who was the new announcer for the Capitol Report greeted the nation with his winsome smile. "We are especially excited tonight to be selecting the thirty-five girls who will be competing for our dear Prince's heart in the upcoming Selection! But, before that, there are some routine announcements. In Honduragua, the new schools have…." I drowned out the sound, too nervous to be listening to much of anything.

The atmosphere in the room shifted as the announcement drew nearer. My mother was staring intently at the screen, Gareth was looking mildly agitated, and my father had one hand on my mother's forearm, I suppose in a comforting gesture. I began to panic. What if I _was _chosen? How would I be able to deal with all of the publicity? Some people think that I'm socially impaired, but that's not quite the case. I haven't really had many friends aside from Gareth, so I'm just not quite sure how to act around people sometimes.

Sean's voice jarred me from my thoughts. "Before we get started, any words of advice from the lovely Queen Estelle?"

She gave a gentle smile. The queen was incredibly beautiful. She had long, dark brown hair, fair skin, and piercing green eyes. "Only this, Mr. Alden. Whatever life you lead now, it will be changed for each and every one of you from this moment on. So it would be wise of you to keep on your toes."

Sean nodded. "Excellent advice, Your Majesty. Without further ado, the thirthy-five Daughters of Illea!"

They were going in alphabetical order according to provinces, so I barely had time to take a steadying breath before he read the Selected for Calgary.

"And from Calgary, Miss Hana Astley, Three."

I nearly fainted.

Hey! So, there's another chapter! Most introductions will probably be shorter than this, and only until I get enough submissions to warrant the traveling and makeover chapter. On that subject, I am still in desperate need of submissions. Tell your friends, sisters, brothers, cats, whoever! I'd like around ten more before I do the travel chapter, so the rest can mainly be throwaway characters eliminated early. So submit! I'll change the rules, so now you're free to submit as many as you'd like. I'd also love to see some reviews, and thanks for reading!


	4. Update

I'm sorry this isn't a chapter, I've been incredibly busy lately. Here is the updated list of Selected girls. As you can see, there are a lot of Threes and a couple of Twos. A few more twos would be nice, but. I would like to see lower caste girls submitted as well. An added note, if your girl is a Five or below, I would also like you to add 'how she adjusts to the palace' as another field in the submission form. And remember for Twos: They aren't all actresses and models, there are athletes, politicians (or their family members,) those in policing, military, and firefighting. Just something to keep in mind. So I would like no more Threes, but all other castes (except for Eights) are still available! If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

Kent: Lexus Cassandra Bell, 6, seamstress

Hansport

Waverly

Zuni

Paloma: Eloise Moore, 2, model

Clermont: Sadie Rayne, 3, insurance agent

Tammins

Sonage

Dakota: Charlotte Kimberley Crane, 3, writer

Columbia: Cynthia Marianne Bane, 4, assistant chef at a factory

Sota

Allens

Likely

Atlin

Hundson: Solene Minette Young, 2, no profession/socialite

Honduragua

Sumner: Emmeline Thisbe O'Malley, 4, librarian in training

Labrador

Fennley

Bankston: Arizona McKay, 8, pickpocket/small-time thief

Whites

Bonita: Manvi Sharma, 7, bar girl

Angeles

Midston

Belcourt

St. George: Melissa Samantha Eaton

Panama

Denbeigh

Calgary: Hana Iona Astley, 3, author/nurse

Baffin

Ottaro

Lakedon

Yukon: Psyche Luna Chandra, 3, lawyer

Dominca

Carolina: Margaux Sofie Bautista, 5, singer


End file.
